


Ladies and Lovebugs

by LooseScrewsLefty



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bee!Chloe, F/F, Femslash February, butterfly!juleka, fox!alya - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-21 10:41:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9544397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LooseScrewsLefty/pseuds/LooseScrewsLefty
Summary: femslash feb collection02/09/17- (Flowers)“What’s your favorite flower?”Juleka blinked in surprise at the question, giving Rose a curious look as the blonde merely beamed down at her eagerly.“Dunno.” She answered softly. “Never thought about it.”





	1. Foxcicle

“Cold! ColdcoldcoldcoldcoldcoldCOOOOOOLD!!!!!”

 

Marinette pressed a hand against her mouth to hold back a giggle as she watched the orange figure on the rooftop above her bound from one foot to another, clearly displeased with the surprise snowfall they had received the night before.

 

“Okay, seriously, _why is it so cold_?! I mean, really Trixx?! You give me a freaking supersuit that can withstand bullets and getting powerbombed from the top of the Eiffel Tower and I don’t even breaking a nail, but then you forget that little detail about providing some WARMTH?! You know, that thing clothes are SUPPOSED TO DO?! I swear to whatever deity your furry little butt prays to, I’m feeding you tuna fish for the rest of the month if you’re doing this just to mess with me again…”

 

“Having problems there, Rena?” Marinette called up teasingly.

 

The fox heroine yelped in surprise at the sound of her voice and whipped around frantically to stare at her with startled amber eyes before promptly losing her footing on the icy roof. The brunette’s tailbone hit the shingles with a loud crack and, before Rena had the chance to recover, the poor frozen fox slid right off the incline and landed straight in a snowbank that was nearly up to Marinette’s shoulders.

 

Marinette almost cried trying to keep herself from laughing as Rena Rouge groaned in dismay.

 

“Su-sorry!” She gasped out, giving an unladylike snort at the fallen girl’s put upon expression. “I didn’t mean to startle you! I just-!” That was as far as Marinette made it before she couldn’t hold it in anymore. Doubling over, the blue-eyed girl started to cackle loudly as she mentally replayed what had just occurred and savored Rena’s expressions as she fell.

 

The fox heroine sighed loudly before pulling herself from the snowdrift and shaking off the flakes the now decorated her suit and hair, casting some of the cold droplets in Marinette’s direction as she did so. The designer gave a small squeak of protest at the onslaught of cold water, earning her a smug look from Rena as she pouted at her in response for the attack. Dropping the expression wth an exasperated sigh, Marinette smiled wryly at her friend and fellow crime fighter, admiring the way the snow that Rena hadn’t managed to completely shake off caught in the dim streetlights and made the brunette literally sparkle.

 

“Are you okay?” She asked, slightly amused at Rena’s look of surprise. Usually, it was the cunning fox catching her off-guard, not the other way around, and Marinette found she rather liked having the upper hand on the taller girl.

 

“Of course!” Rena insisted boastfully. “A little slip and fall isn’t going to keep Rena Rouge off her feet!”

 

“Glad to hear it, but I was actually talking about the fact that you don’t seem to be handling the cold all that well.” Marinette said a little slyly, biting back a smile as Rena went red at the reminder of her earlier rant.

 

“Oh. That.” Rena laughed weakly, looking more embarrassed then Marinette had ever seen her. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just… You know… I’m kinda an island fox. Not used to being cold, you know?” Marinette gave a sympathetic hum at that.

 

“My friend Alya’s like that too.” She confided to Rena, smiling fondly as she thought of Alya’s War Against Winter. A fruitless battle, but the Martiniquan teen was still fighting nonetheless. Thankfully, she found a strong ally in Marinette, or ‘the Queen of Warm and Comfy Clothes’ as she was crowned by Alya herself, with a tiara fashioned of origami flowers that Alya had forced her to wear all day at school after the designer had brought her in an armload of knit sweaters and socks.

 

“You’re friend’s a smart girl, then.” Rena said with a confident nod. “Snow’s pretty for a day, and then it’s a hassle. A cold, wet, miserable hassle.”

 

"You really do sound just like Alya.” Marinette giggled, delighted at the girl’s openness. Her powers might have been illusions and deception, but Rena was as honest and forthcoming as they came, and Marinette appreciated that. Sparing the heroine an affectionate smile, Marinette prompted. “You know, I’m actually a designer. I could probably make you a jacket to patrol in for cold nights like this.”

 

“That’s sweet of you to offer, but don’t you have other things you should be focusing on instead? Like school? Or boys? Or other things you should be designing instead of jackets for whiny foxes like me?” Rena asked with a pointed look. “I heard something about a dress design contest at Le Grand Paris for your age group coming up soon. Winner gets 5,000 euros and a two page feature spread in La Mode Magazine. Why don’t you do that instead?”

 

“You’re a fashion fan?” Marinette asked, a little surprised. She never would have guessed that Rena would have an interest in the industry, let alone know about the competition she’d been practically tearing her hair out over the last month.

 

“A friend is a rising star in the industry who’s gonna be super famous one of these days, so I know enough.” Rena answered with an enigmatic smile. “In fact, I recognize you from a few of the competitions you’ve won, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng.” Marinette flushed a little at the praise, a flood of warm pleasure running through her at the way Rena purred out her name.

 

“If you’re honestly trying to persuade me not to design something for you, you’re doing a terrible job at it.” She told the superheroine with a grin as she planted her hands on her hips. Rena shrugged carelessly in response, shooting her a smile.

 

“I’m not gonna lie and act like I don’t appreciate you thinking about me, or imply that I don’t think you’d do a good job.” She replied. “But you probably have enough on your plate as it is. No need to take on any more pet projects and let the stuff that’s important to you suffer, right?”

 

“Well maybe you’re one of the things that’s important to me, Rena Rouge.” The words came out before Marinette could fully consider them, and it took a few moments of stunned silence from the fox for the implications of what she just said to fully sink in.

 

Once it did, Marinette screeched like a whistling tea kettle.

 

“THAT’S NOT-!!!” She sputtered, face going red as she waved her hands in front of her in protest. “I DIDN’T MEAN THAT LIKE- I MEAN, I DID, ONLY-!”

 

“Marinette!” Rena interrupted, her shoulders shaking in silent laugher. “Marinette, calm down! It’s cool, girl! Really!” Moaning in dismay, Marinette buried her face into her hands and gave another, quieter scream.

 

“Sorry.” She groaned, embarrassed that she had come on so strongly to her teammate. Rena was probably creeped out by her now… “I’m such a mess…”

 

“You are. But it’s cute.” Rena replied bluntly. Surprised, Marinette took her head out of her hands to look at the other girl again, who met her gaze with a grin. “I like people like you. You might be a little awkward, but you’re passionate and you want to help. The world needs more of that kind of energy.”

 

“You really think so?” Marinette asked, smiling in gratitude at the compliment.

 

“Are you kidding? Of course I do!” Rena said, giving Marinette a playful knock on the head. “You’re one of those rare, amazing type of person who can do anything, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” Marinette’s smile warmed at that, grateful she hadn’t scared the fox girl off with her odd behavior. Turning Rena’s words around in her head, Marinette’s smile took on a slightly slyer edge and she reached up to take the fox girl’s hand with her own.

 

“Well in that case, I should be more than capable of making you a jacket and getting the rest of my stuff done at the same time. Wouldn’t you agree, Rena Rouge?” Rena stared at the smaller girl for a moment, clearly trying to work out the trap she had walked right into. Once she realized she’d been had, though, the fox doubled over with howls of laugher.

 

“Oh you’re good you little sneak!” She said in delight, grinning at Marinette in approval. “Alright. If you think you can handle it, then I would be honored to receive a Dupain-Cheng original design!” Marinette grinned in triumph at her victory, only to have it fall away when Rena gave her own smug smile in return, her finely honed superhero instincts practically screaming at her that she was about to get owned. “But if you do make me a jacket, I’m going to make sure all the news outlets know that you were the passionate and caring fan who made me such an amazing and thoughtful gift. Hope you don’t mind the free publicity there.”

 

“What?!” Marinette said in alarm.

 

“it’s only fair to give you recognition for your work, since I doubt you’ll take my money.” Rena crooned teasingly. Marinette frowned a little, not entirely comfortable with the idea of using her teammates superhero status to garter attention for herself. And besides, if people- namely Hawkmoth- started making connections between Marinette and the superheroes and started looking at the designer a little too closely, then that could spell bad things for Ladybug.

 

In fact, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea for Ladybug to put her foot down and tell Rena not to draw any attention to Marinette, lest the ‘helpless’ civilian get caught up in their crimefighting.

 

“Alright, deal.” Marinette said confidently, holding out a hand to shake Rena’s gloved one. Rena smiled as she took the smaller girl’s hand, but rather then shaking it as Marinette intended, Rena instead tugged the girl forward into her space, planting a quick, playful kiss on the end of her button nose.

 

“Deal!” Rena laughed as Marinette’s cold-pinked face went scarlet as the heroine’s actions processed in her mind. “I’ll meet you at your house when you’re done, okay?”

 

“What?” Marinette’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion at that statement. “But how will you know?”

 

"Oh, I have my ways~” Rena purred with a teasing wink before she jumped away once more, leaving Marinette cold, flustered and confused in her wake.

 

_So much for having the upper-hand._ Marinette thought wryly before gathering her wits and continuing her trek home.

 

She had a jacket to start designing, after all.


	2. Lullabug

Alya sighed quietly as she turned the TV off, giving the girl currently drooling on her shoulder a smile that was equal parts affectionate and resigned. She knew that her movie night with Marinette was probably going to end this way, since they practically always did. She didn’t mind it, to be honest. Actually, it wouldn’t be a lie to say she enjoyed this part of their Girl’s Nights very much. Probably a little too much, in fact.

She buried her guilt over that in the back of her mind to give Marinette’s shoulder a gentle shake, for all the good she knew it would do.

“Marinette?” She said, smiling at the grumpy groan she got. “Come on, girl. Time to go to bed.”

“Dun’twanna…” Marinette mumbled back like a petulant child, curling into Alya’s warmth in an attempt to escape from the jostling. Alya huffed out a laugh before moving her hand from the smaller girl’s shoulder to her back, and hooking her free hand underneath her knees.

"Guess we gotta do this the hard way, then." She said, grinning down at the girl in her arms before getting to her feet.

It was almost effortless to pick the other girl up, especially after months of practice. And if she were being honest, Alya had to admit that Marinette was practically made to be carried around like a princess. The thought made the bespectacled girl smile to herself as Marinette groaned again and burrowed her face into her shoulder, the crook of her nose pressed against Alya’s neck in a way that sent shivers of delight down the blogger’s spine.

Alya stamped it back down and proceeded to carry Marinette up the stairs and into her darkened room.

It took a little effort to navigate the space with so little light, but Alya was a pro by now and managed to get Marinette up the second flight of stairs and to her loft bed without dropping her precious cargo or banging her shin on an unseen obstacle, which was how many girl’s nights had ended in the past. And even though she and Marinette would always laugh themselves breathless over awkward fumblings like that, Alya always took more satisfaction in a job well done and being able to properly take care of the girl she had come to treasure so.

Smiling, Alya gently deposited Marinette on the mattress and pulled the covers out from underneath the girl’s body to tuck her in, wordlessly climbing underneath the duvet herself. She kept a little distance between her and her friend but, like always, Marinette wasted no time in latching onto her with a surprising show of strength for such a small girl, tangling their legs as she nestled her head against Alya’s chest and hugged the brunette to her in a viselike grip.

Alya gave a soft noise of content as she tucked her chin on top of Marinette’s head, savoring the warmth and comfort of being surrounded by her best friend as she drifted away into unconsciousness. Her eyes grew heavy with sleep as Marinette’s slow breath mingled with the sound of her heart where it beat steadily against Alya’s side to play her favorite lullaby, and Alya couldn't help but smile as she held the other girl close and savored the way their bodies fit against one another.

Maybe it wasn't entirely okay, but the fact remained that Alya always slept better when she had Marinette by her side.


	3. Hard Choices

Alya’s legs almost gave out when her feet touched the ground again.

 _Close call._ She thought shakily, clutching at her chest where the Akuma had run her through trying to attack Ladybug. The wound wasn’t there anymore thanks to the Miraculous Cure, but a phantom of the pain and cold still lingered something awful. Taking a few deep, cleansing breaths, Alya reminded herself that she was okay before mentally preparing and turning her attention to the spotted heroine.

She thought she knew what was coming her way. After all, Ladybug had asked her time and again not to get so close to the action. To stay where it was safe and let the heroes work. And Alya had never bothered to listen since she felt the public service she and the Ladyblog were doing was worth the risk. People needed to see what Ladybug was doing for them, so they couldn’t be turned against her as too often happened in her comics. The heroine needed her, even if she didn’t know it herself. As she steeled herself for Ladybug’s anger and lecture and the inevitable ‘I-told-you-so’ that was bound to result from today’s foul up, she kept a mind on all of this, so she could counter any argument Ladybug might give to keep her away from Akuma fights in the future.

She wasn’t prepared for the tears.

Ladybug was strong, after all. Invincible, it seemed. She fought monsters without flinching, and did so brilliantly while making it look effortless. It was everything Alya aspired for, and she could never in her wildest dreams imagine any situation that would bring such a powerful and inspiring woman to cry, and the sight of it killed any defenses Alya had been preparing to make for her actions.

“L…Ladybug…” Alya ventured tentatively, not sure what to do with this new show of vulnerability from the superheroine but desperate to do something. Before she could think of anything to say in comfort, though, Ladybug gave a shaky sob and threw her arms around Alya’s shoulders for a hug that knocked the wind out of the blogger.

“Thank God.” Ladybug whimpered. “Thank God you’re okay. I thought I lost you.” Alya felt her throat constrict as Ladybug trembled against her while the masked girl’s tears dampened the collar of her shirt. Unable to speak, Alya just gathered the other girl closer in a tight hug, feeling every shuttering sob the spotted girl took. The miraculous in Ladybug’s ears beeped out a warning, Alya winced when she examined the gem and realized that Ladybug was now down to just two dots.

 _She has to leave._ Alya thought, biting her lip. True, they were hidden in a shadowy alcove of the city, away from any prying eyes, but Ladybug was right in front of her, about to detransform. This wasn’t how Alya wanted to find out her hero’s identity. She wanted to earn it through her wit, or be trusted with it after a show of loyalty and courage that would get Ladybug to acknowledge her as worthy of being in the know. She didn’t want it because she had been so reckless and stupid that she had scared Ladybug half to death.

She didn’t deserve it.

Another beep sounded off, this one more urgent then the last and yet Ladybug still made no move to go. Alya wanted to warn her as she had done in the past, but found it far too difficult to speak against the lump that had formed in her throat. So instead, the blogger steeled herself and hugged the heroine tighter before burying her face in her shoulder and squeezing her eyes shut.

A light flashed violently around Alya as a wind kicked up and tossed her curls all around. The sensation was almost like the first gust of warm air after a long, hard winter, and Alya felt herself subconsciously relaxing into it before it was gone and the strange, textured suit that had been underneath her hand just moments earlier was suddenly replaced with a cotton polyester blend shirt.

Ladybug’s shirt. The one she wore when she wasn’t fighting crime and being a superhero.

Alya’s hands trembled as she clenched the shirt in her fist, squeezing her eyes shut even tighter to fight the temptation to see just who was in front of her. It helped to remind herself that she wouldn’t be happy finding out this way, but only just. Especially when Ladybug stopped crying and took a shuttering breath before stepping back, distancing herself from Alya a little. Just putting a little distance between them without escaping their embrace.

“You closed your eyes.” The heroine observed quietly. Alya frowned a little when she heard the underlying emotion in Ladybug’s tone. Sadness? Disappointment?

“This isn’t how I want to find out.” Alya replied anxiously, wondering what was going through the other girl’s head.

“But I thought that’s what you wanted.” Ladybug said, sounding distressed. “I thought if you knew-!”

“Ladybug.” A new voice warned abruptly, high and tinny and almost fairy-like. Someone else was there? It took everything Alya had not to open her eyes and sate the curiosity that was beginning to burn at her willpower.

“I know.” Ladybug responded, sounding more chastised than Alya had ever heard her. “I know Tikki. I just had to make sure…”

“I understand, Ladybug. But now we have to go.” The voice urged, sounding worried. Ladybug didn’t respond to that verbally, but she did begin to move out of Alya’s hold despite Alya’s own reluctance to let her go.

Then, suddenly, there was a soft press against Alya’s cheekbone, and the blogger stopped breathing when she realized that it was Ladybug giving her a kiss.

Chaste and fleeting, Ladybug’s lips lingered only for a moment before disappearing, leaving Alya heady and with a sense of loss as Ladybug broke away completely. Alya felt cold in the wake of her departure as she heard Ladybug’s light footfalls fade away into the city, leaving her behind. Several minutes after Ladybug had departed, Alya finally let her eyes open, staring around her in the empty alleyway and feeling a sense of self-loathing she had never experienced before. She had to make this right somehow.

And there was only one way to do that. 

—

“You’re shutting down the Ladyblog?!” Nino’s eyes were going to pop out of his skull if they got any wider, Alya noted dully as she unpacked all her supplies for the day and set them on her desk. “Like, seriously?!”

“Basically yeah.” Alya responded, trying to sound more nonchalant then she felt about the decision. “I mean, I’ll still take video submissions and fan content, but honestly yesterday kinda showed me that as far as getting live footage goes, I just get in the way.”

“You got that right.” Chloe said snottily from the front row, throwing Alya a smirk over her shoulder. “I bet Ladybug finally laid into you about what a pest you are, huh?”

“Be quiet, Chloe.” Marinette ordered with more venom than Alya had ever heard from her.

“Or you’ll what? Lecture me about being nice?” Chloe scoffed. “Please! You don’t scare me, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and you can’t threaten me.”

“It’s not a threat.” Marinette responded with deadly calm. “I’m telling you to be quiet.”

Chloe looked affronted at Marinette’s words for a moment, and turned on her to respond, only to falter upon getting a good look at the pig tailed girl’s face.

“Whatever.” Chloe huffed as she turned back around. “You losers aren’t worth it.” Alya rolled her eyes at that before giving Marinette a curious glance, frowning when she noticed the girl still refusing to meet her eye.

Marinette had been avoiding her gaze all morning. Her best friend’s somber silence was almost worse than the tearful lecture she had gotten from her parents when she went home the day before. Alya knew how uneasy Marinette got about her chasing after akumas, the other girl was always pleading with her to stay safe. She thought Marinette would be happy that she had decided to give it up, like her mother was, but for some reason that didn’t seem to be the case.

Keeping a careful eye on the side of the designer’s face that she could see, Alya slowly reached over under the table and took Marinette’s hand in her own. There was half a moment of uncertainty, but then Marinette gasped her hand back. Alya breathed out a quiet sigh of relief, even as she continued to wonder why Marinette seemed to have a hard time looking at her all of a sudden.

Well whatever the reason for her friend’s odd behavior, Marinette wasn’t mad at her. That was something, at least.

Class that day seemed to drag by, especially with Marinette being uncharacteristically quiet and still. It was almost unsettling to see someone so vivacious and energetic acting so drained, and Alya’s worry mounted as the hours passed, and when lunch finally rolled around, she practically shot out her seat, grabbing Marinette’s arm before the other girl even finished packing her things away and dragging her out the classroom door.

“Alya!” Marinette gasped as they made their way into the park, “what’s gotten into you?”

“Funny. I wanted to ask you the same thing.” Alya retorted, letting her friend go to cross her arms. “You’ve been acting weird all day, girl. Talk to me.” Marinette stiffened a little at the upfront confrontation, before sagging in defeat and clutching her elbows in a protective sort of way.

“…I almost lost you.” She said quietly, sounding so heartbroken and scared that Alya cringed in self-loathing. Pushing her guilt to the side, Alya stepped forward and took Marinette’s forearms in her hands.

“Marinette?” She said gently. “Hey, look at me girl. I’m okay. Everything’s alright. Ladybug fixed everything, okay? You don’t have anything to worry about.”

“But she almost didn’t, Alya!” Marinette snapped, yanking herself out of Alya’s grasp. “She almost didn’t win! She almost lost you! **_I_** almost lost you!”

“Marinette-!” Alya started, but the blue-eyed girl wasn’t nearly done.

“I was so, so scared, Alya. When the Lucky Charm didn’t work, I thought- I thought-!” wincing, Alya came forward and enveloped her friend in a hug as the smaller girl broke down into tears.

“Ssshhh… it’s okay… I got you girl…. I’m right here.” She soothed as she rubbed circles into Marinette’s back. “You didn’t lose me, Marinette. I’m right here. And I promise I’m not going to do anymore videos for the Ladyblog, okay? I won’t put you through that again girl.”

“But you love the Ladyblog.” Marinette said quietly, her voice trembling with tears. “You love superheroes, and action and all that stuff.”

“Yeah, I do.” Alya admitted hugging Marinette closer. “But I love you more. And I’m not going to keep doing something if it makes you this miserable. No superhero is worth that, not even Ladybug.”

“Do you really mean that, Alya?” Marinette asked in a small voice.

“Of course I do. Have I ever lied to you?”

“No. No, you haven’t.” Marinette agreed, smiling in gratitude. “Thank you, Alya. I know how hard it must have been for you to decide to stop blogging like that.”

“Eh, I’ll live.” Alya responded with a would-be careless shrug, guilt blooming in her gut as she downplayed just how much stopping the Ladyblog was killing her. It didn’t matter, though. She made her choice, and as much as she hated it she knew it was the right thing to do. She couldn’t bare to scare her family and friends like that again, or Ladybug herself. “Now what do you say we go to your place for some food? I could eat a horse right now!”

“Sounds good to me!” Marinette giggled, giving Alya one last, affectionate squeeze before taking her hand and leading her to the bakery. “Come on. Papa said something about a new macaroon recipe he wanted to try.”

“Oooh! Now why didn’t you mention that earlier!” Alya demanded in exaggerated outrage, making Marinette laugh loudly as she pulled the girl into a one armed embrace, prompting Marinette to wrap an arm around her waist. Alya smiled as she saw life return to Marinette’s eyes once more. Yes, the decision to stop chasing Ladybug had been difficult, but seeing firsthand the impact it had on the blue eyed girl at her side made it clear that Alya had made the right choice.

No scoop was worth making someone you love worry so much.

Alya never noticed the old man sitting at the other side of the park, smiling at the girls warmly as they walked away, a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

“What do you think, Master?” Asked the small green sprite that sat hidden in his shirt pocket.

“I think that she’s finally ready.” The old man replied, chuckling as he palmed a black box with bright red Chinese characters embossed on the lid. “In these trying times, Ladybug and Chat Noir could certainly use such a cunning and vibrant fox.”


	4. Suited Up

“I can’t believe Chat is making us do this.”

“To be fair, we did lose the bet.”

“Only because he cheated!”

“True. But a loss is still a loss. Besides, we cheated too. He just cheated better.” Ladybug grumbled at that, making Rena grin in amusement. She couldn’t help but find it hilarious how oddly competitive Ladybug could be. It was one of her strongest attributes in battles, steeling her with stubborn determination that helped them against any and every foe they faced.

On the other, she did NOT handle losing well. At all.

“I still don’t get why he picked a photoshoot as our punishment.” Ladybug complained with a sulky frown.

“Maybe he was hoping they’d stick you in a bikini or something?” Rena suggested with a snicker.

“No chance. For one thing, Chat knows full well the suits don’t come off, and I’m not going to blow my secret identity by detransforming to have my civilian face plastered across a magazine cover. And for another, Chat’s much more likely to give me pictures of HIM in a skimpy bathing suit then to try and get me to give up the goods.” Rena howled with laugher at Ladybugs dry retort as the mental image of Chat Noir in a ridiculous playboy bunny pose wearing nothing but his mask, cat ears and a speedo with a tail attached flashed through her head.

Now that Ladybug mentioned it, that DID seem a lot more likely for Chat.

Before she and Ladybug could discuss this any further, though, the door opened and in stepped the photographer with a spring in his step and a wide grin on his face.

“Good day, Ladies!” He said cheerfully. “I hope you’re ready to start working, because we only have a few hours to make some magic!”

“Hours?” Ladybug whimpered as Rena’s jaw dropped.

“Of course! These are exclusive shots of Paris’ Princess and two lovely Lady Knights in Shining Armor!”

“Princess?” Rena repeated, eyebrow arching. “What do you mean by-?”

“LADYBUG!” Rena choked as an excited squeal broke through the air moments before a blur of yellow and white tackled the spotted heroine. Horror snaked down the fox’s spine as she hoped against hope that her eyes were playing tricks on her, but sure enough the blonde currently clinging gleefully to Ladybug was none other than Chloe Bourgeois

…Oh, she was gonna KILL that cat.

“This is the best birthday present ever! Exclusive photos of me and Ladybug? Oooh, I can’t WAIT to see you in your suit!”

“S-suit?” Rena repeated, reluctantly tearing her eyes off Ladybug’s when the smaller heroine turned to her with a look of terror. “What suit? You know we can’t change clothes, right?”

“Yes, Chat Noir explained that to us when he told us you agreed to this photoshoot,” the photographer confirmed as Ladybug began the difficult task of trying to pry Chloe off. “But luckily, we managed to think of a way around that.”

Before Rena could demand to know exactly what his ‘way around that’ was, an assistant arrived with an armload of garment bags, unzipping them as Ladybug finally freed herself from Chloe’s clutches and darted over to put Rena between herself and the heiress, clearly hoping the fox would be able to dissuade Chloe from assaulting her further. And normally, Rena would be THRILLED with the chance to get between Chloe Bourgeois and what she wanted, but as their outfits for the day were pulled out for them to see, the fox suddenly found it impossible to breathe.

Tuxedoes. The photographer had brought them fitted tuxedo suits to model, clearly designed to be slipped over their superhero suits a la Superman.

Ladybug’s suit consisted of a jacket that was a positively sinful shade of red, over a black dress shirt and a red waistcoat with shiny black buttons, matched with a red and black spotted bowtie, red slacks, and black heels. Rena’s on the other hand was an eye-catching orange suit and pants combo paired with a brown shirt and white vest with orange pinstripes and a white tie, with brown and white oxford shoes. They were both admittedly stunning, (which was no surprise given the large ‘G’ on the garment bag which proved that the outfits had been provided by Adrien’s dad) but all the same…

 _Ladybug in a suit._ Rena thought numbly, throat going dry as her imagination ran wild. _I’m going to have to deal with Ladybug in a suit. For a few hours._ Provided, of course, she didn’t just implode from the mere suggestion of the small masked girl dressed to the nines, with her lips painted to match her suit and-

…oh, yeah. She was screwed.

 _If I live through this, I’m killing Chat._ Rena vowed faintly, only half hearing Ladybug give a whimper at her side.

She never would have agreed to throw the game if she had known this was going to be the punishment.


	5. Once Upon a Dream

 

“Seriously girl?” Alya shook her head in dismay as Marinette giggled and playfully threw a pillow in her direction. “Any place in the world and money’s no object, and your ideal date is cuddling at home on the couch?”

 

“Well sorry not all of us are 'spin a globe and fly to wherever your finger lands’ types.” Marinette retorted, sticking her tongue out at the brunette.

 

“As much as I love agreeing with Alya, she’s actually got a point this time.” Chloe said, ignoring the dirty look Alya shot her for her jibe. “Dream Dates are supposed to be special. Cuddling on the couch is something you can do any day.”

 

“Well maybe I think cuddling on the couch with the person I love is special, no matter how often I can do it.” Marinette retorted crossing her arms and turning up her nose to the duo.

 

“Or maybe you can get some standards, Dupain-Cheng.” Chloe shot back with a smirk. What's so bad about getting spoiled every now and then?”

 

“Literally you are the last person in Paris who should be asking that question. You realize that, right?” Alya teased, tossing Marinette's pillow at the blonde. 

 

“I think it's sweet, Marinette!” Rose offered with a glowing smile.

 

“Why thank you, Rose!” Marinette replied with her own grin. “It’s nice to know someone else can enjoy the simple pleasures in life~!” Rose giggled as Chloe and Alya both whined in protest at the slight on them, smiling apologetically at the dirty look Chloe shot her for managing to win the pig tailed girl over. 

 

While most of their old classmates were still surprised and confused at the drastic change in Chloe and Marinette’s relationship from vicious rivals to fiercely close, Rose was secretly thrilled at the way their relationship had evolved over the years. Chloe had grown into a much kinder person ever since she and Marinette had begun hanging out, and she and Marinette seemed to have so much fun sassing one another and play fighting rather than actually going for each other’s throats.

 

It was a little unfortunate that things between Chloe and Alya weren’t progressing quite as smoothly. They got along much better than they used to, but both girls made no bones about the fact that Marinette was the center of their worlds, which lead to a rather tense rivalry between the two for the designer’s attentions.

 

It was a little worrying, but Rose was sure three girls would smooth things out sooner or later. They all cared about one another too much not to.

 

“What about you, Rose?” Marinette asked, smiling encouragingly at her friend as she offered her another of her father’s eclairs (Rose had a weakness for them, and Marinette had sniffed that out in no time flat). “What would your Dream Date be?”

 

“Me?” Rose asked, humming as she tried very hard not to look at the tall, dark haired girl at her side (she didn’t quite succeed, but was quick to look back to Marinette after her guilty peek). “Well, If it were my Dream Date, it would be dancing under the stars right here in Paris! Can you imagine how romantic it would be, the Eiffel Tower glowing and the music playing as you embrace the person you love?”

 

“Except you can’t see the stars here in Paris.” Chloe pointed out dryly. “It’s too polluted.”

 

“Chloe!” Marinette huffed, glaring at the heiress.

 

“I’m not saying it to be mean! It’s true! Papa’s trying to get some laws through to change it, but right now the air quality here is still terrible, and the smog is too thick. Hard to have a romantic dance under the stars when there’s no stars to see.”

 

“It’s alright.” Rose laughed, patting Marinette’s arm when she saw her gearing up to argue. “I know it can’t happen the way things are now. But that’s why it’s a dream date, right?”

 

“So Marinette wants something that’s too simple, and Rose wants something that can’t happen.” Alya shook in head in bemusement. “I’ll tell you what, you two are a pair.”

 

“Ah, don’t listen to them Rose. I think that sounds like a beautiful dream date!” Marinette praised, earning a giggle from her smaller friend.

 

“Thanks, Marinette!” She said with a grin, before turning her attention to the silent girl at her side. “What about you, Juleka? What’s your Dream Date?”

 

“Me?” Juleka asked, pointing to herself as her cheeks darkened from pasty white to red. “Uh… I don’t… well…”

 

“Oh come on! You HAVE to have a Dream Date!” Chloe pushed. “A romantic stroll through the catacombs, maybe?”

 

“Chloe!” Marinette scolded sharply as Juleka flinched inward, casting her eyes down to the ground. Rose felt her heart drop to her shoes as she laid a consoling hand on the other girls back, only half her attention on the other blonde, who looked surprisingly abashed when she realized how much her taunt had affected the shy goth.

 

“I only meant she could stand to be a little more confident!” Chloe mumbled, half apologetic and half defensive. “If she likes that kind of creepy horror stuff, then she should own it! At least a catacomb date is more realistic than seeing the stars in Paris, and less ordinary than cuddling on the couch!”

 

“And less horribly cliche than a five star dinner followed by a romantic parade down Paris so everyone can see how much you’re adored.” Alya chimed in with a smirk, earning her a pillow to the face for the second time that night.

 

“It’s not a parade! It’s a romantic stroll through the streets, followed by violinist while we are serenaded by Jagged Stone, then a ride on a horse drawn carriage back home!” Chloe reminded the brunette primly.

 

“Yeah, who would ever mistake that for a parade?” Alya asked, rolling her eyes. Marinette gave her a slight knock on the shoulder for her jibe, but had to hide a giggle behind her hand as she did so.

 

“Keep that up, and I won’t invite either of you to my wedding with Ladybug.” Chloe warned the pair, sticking her tongue out at Alya. For some reason Rose didn’t understand, Marinette practically died laughing at that threat, which caused Alya to look an odd cross between indignant and amused as Chloe grinned smugly at them all. Even Juleka shook with silent laughter at the heiress’ declaration, and- not for the first time- Rose was left wondering at the joke she was apparently not getting.

 

“Pretty sure I can line up a hot date to get me into that bash, Chlo.” Marinette said with a confident grin.

 

“And I’m not gonna cry any tears over missing that party when I’ve seduced Ladybug into divorcing your skinny blonde butt and taking half your fortune to fund my ‘whirlwind world travel romance’ date.” Alya confided with a smirk.

 

“Oh please. Like Ladybug would even look at any other girl as long as she has me to make her happy.” Chloe retorted, blowing a raspberry. 

 

“You two keep arguing and Ladybug will wash her hands of both of you.” Marinette warned the pair with a pointed look. Chloe and Alya both looked thoroughly chastised at that warning, which apparently satisfied Marinette enough that she turned back to Juleka with a smile. “Okay, your turn, Juleka! You get to decide the next question!” Juleka gave Marinette a shy, grateful grin for providing her with an out, then quietly mulled over her options while Rose tried not to feel too disheartened at her side.

 

It would have been nice to know what kind of date Juleka would like, even if it was a walk through the catacombs. Because honestly, Rose was prepared to walk through Hell itself if it was for Juleka.

 

\---

 

Almost a month later, Rose found a superheroine on her windowsill.

 

Admittedly, this wasn’t entirely an uncommon thing in Paris anymore, since there were now four superheroines fighting day and night to protect their beautiful and vibrant city from the evils that attempted to plague it. But Rose couldn't help but give a delighted gasp when she recognized the girl outside her window nonetheless. Her hands trembled as she undid the latch and threw the window open, nearly spilling out onto the street below in her excitement.

 

“Titania!” She breathed out, cheeks going pink as she stared up in wonder at the girl. “What's going on? Why are you here? Do you need Briar Rose again?”

 

“Easy!” Titania begged with a laugh. “I don't need Briar, but if possible I’d like to borrow some of Rose’s time.”

 

“You would?” Rose asked, curious and excited all at once. The Butterfly heroine had approached her before to thank her for serving as her main Champion, but never like this.

 

“Will you come with me?” Titania asked, holding her gloved hand out to the small blonde girl before her. Rose grinned widely as she put her hand in the taller girl’s, giving a squeak when Titania pulled her closer and picked her up bridal style.

Large semi-translucent violet wings with black lines patterned on it like lace and White eyespots took form behind Titania, making her look like her namesake. Turning back to the streets of Paris, Titania stood tall and unfurled her beautiful wings in an all too impressive display.

 

“Hang on tight, okay?” Titania told her. Rose had absolutely no problem complying to the request, snuggling close and wrapping her arms around Titania’s shoulders as the wings began to softly beat, carrying them up into the sky.

 

Of the four heroes who possessed the power of flight, Titania was undoubtedly the slowest. Rose knew this well since she was better acquainted with the superheroes and their powers than most, as Titania’s main Champion and the only civilian to work with them regularly in the midst of battle. She knew how all of them flew. Queen Bee like lightning blur across the Parisian sky in a fight, and Talon Bleu the most powerful flyer, with stamina that easily outpaced both the Bee and the Butterfly, while Ladybug was the most balanced, adept and clever, with fewer exploitable weaknesses then the others.

 

But by far, Rose loved flying above Paris in Titania’s arms the most.

 

True, she wasn't as fast as Bee, and couldn’t fly as long as Talon or possess the stunning precision of Ladybug, but there was grace and charm to Titania’s style of flying. It felt peaceful, like floating in a cool, calm lake on a hot summer day.

 

It was all too soon that the flight was over, and Rose was gently deposited on the ground in the middle of a rooftop garden.

 

“Oooh, are we having a midnight picnic?” Rose asked cheerfully, grinning eagerly at her companion.

 

“Not quite.” Titania replied with an enigmatic smile. “Have I ever told you what my power does, Rose?” 

 

“Well, you make Champions, right? Give people superpowers so they can fight evil? Like turning me into Briar Rose.” Rose answered.

 

“That’s part of it.” Titania admitted, smiling softly, summoning her butterflies to rise out of the nearby plants and flutter around them softly on silent wings. “My Miraculous allows me to guide people out of the darkness and into the light. I find the best part of people, their strength and beauty and the courage they all have inside of them, and bring it out so it can shine. I’m not like Hawkmoth, I don’t turn anyone into anything, I just bring them up to the surface for everyone to see. That is what my Champions are. What Briar Rose is.” Rose flushed a little at the candid remark, thinking back to the photos she had seen of Briar Rose and how beautiful and remarkable she looked as Titania’s Champion. How confident and powerful the Butterfly made her feel.

 

That was really her? All of it? Truly?

 

“Th-that’s…” Humbling? Uplifting? Overwhelming? Yes to all of that, honestly. But before Rose could decide which word to choose, the butterflies around her began to glow, flying up and out of view, and a familiar magic pulsed through the air.

 

As the magic took hold and did it’s job, Rose suddenly found it impossible to breathe as she stared in awe at the sight above her.

 

“I can see why you wanted this. I never imagined the sky could look so beautiful.” Titania mused, smiling as she stared up at the stars at Rose’s side. “It won’t last, but I wanted to do this for you. To thank you for everything you’ve done for me.” It took everything Rose had not to start crying then and there.

 

_ Bringing the light out of the darkness.  _ Rose realized numbly.  _ She used the same magic she has for making Champions to clear away all the smog, so I can see the stars. She… _

 

Rose never wanted so badly to kiss someone in all her life. 

Giving a watery giggle, Rose turned to Titania and held out her hand, smiling at the superheroine’s confused look.

 

“Please?” She asked, tilting her head. “I’ve always dreamed about dancing with someone under the stars in Paris.” Titania smiled at the request and took Rose’s hand, settling her other hand at Rose’s waist as Rose took hold of her shoulder and started to hum.

 

Not for the first time, she was tempted to let Titania know that she knew. That she was okay with who she was. More than okay, honestly. She wasn’t at all surprised that the shy, quiet goth she had know for so long had a hero inside of her that had been waiting to spread her wings and soar, and she was grateful that Juleka would want her to be a part of her story, her partner even.

 

But she knew that Juleka wasn’t ready for that yet. Titania was still new to her, her first chance in her life to speak and be heard, to be seen rather than just fading into the background as she had so often growing up. She had promised herself that she would wait until Juleka was ready to tell her her secret, and properly introduce her to the adorable little fairy that she kept at her side. Difficult as it was to wait, Juleka needed this- needed to feel confident and strong and ready- much more than Rose needed to fully understand the double life the other girl was living. She could wait. And, until that day…

 

“But if I know you, I know what you’ll do… you’ll love me at once, the way you did once… upon… a… dream.”


	6. Ladybugs Prefer Blondes

She was trying her absolute best not to feel self conscious or anxious about it, but it was really, really hard.

You can do this. She reminded herself, trying to force her hands to stop trembling. You got this. You can totally do this.

She survived supervillians on a semi-daily basis, she was NOT afraid of a pair of scissors!

“You know you don’t have to do this, right?” Marinette reminded her, watching the blonde carefully from where she was pretending to flip through a fashion magazine. “You don't have to prove anything to anyone.”

“You think I care what anyone thinks, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” Chloé asked with a scoff. “I’m doing this for me, and no one else.”

“Sure. Of course you are.” Marinette hummed in agreement. “It has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that you want to try and make a fresh start and figured that a new look might help you feel like a new person.”

“Naturally.” Chloé nodded, crossing her arms. “I take far too much pride in how beautiful I am to dumb it down for the common man.”

“Not to mention what a crime it would be, to rob the world of such a sight!” Marinette reminded her with an overly dramatic gasp.

“Exactly.” Chloé had to force herself not to smile at the smaller girl’s antics, sticking her nose up primly as she examined her nails with feigned indifference. “I’m doing this because short hair is in fashion and I want to stay ahead of the trend. As if there could ever be any other reason I’d cut my hair!”

“Only a fool would dream otherwise.” Marinette nodded solemnly, and Chloé finally broke down laughing at her companion’s exaggerated seriousness.

“Thanks for coming with me today. I don't think I could go through with this on my own.” Chloé admitted, surprised at how much better goofing off with Marinette made her feel.

She had forgotten that friends could be like that, playful and fun and equal rather than one person having all the power and the other forced to do what they said. Of course, if was her own fault her former friendships had taken such a route, both with Sabrina and Adrien. She knew now that there was no excuse for the way she had treated so many people, especially the ones she claimed to care the most about. She couldn't blame them for leaving her, after all she had said and done in her selfish pursuits.

In a lot of ways, it felt almost fated that her most hated rival was the one to help pick her back up when she had fallen to her lowest point, kicking her back into shape before dusting her off and offering a hand to help her climb out from rocky bottom. While she was still afraid to say it out loud, the truth was that she now looked to Marinette Dupain-Cheng as a friend, someone she enjoyed sharing her life with. But she was still a little worried that Marinette didn't feel the same way. That she was going to mess up, and Marinette would go right back to hating her again and she'd lose everything.

Changing her look to try and make a new identity for herself didn't have anything to do with what anyone else thought of her, but she still secretly hoped that it would change how Marinette saw her. That she could leave her past being her and make a fresh start, and be someone other than the class bully.

The blonde came out of her musings when Marinette hissed out a curse under her breath, staring at her phone with an intense look.

“Something the matter?” Chloé asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

“It's a friend of mine.” Marinette answered anxiously. “He’s in trouble right now, and he needs my help.” Chloé frown, her insides squirming at the idea of having to face the judgement of the hairdresser’s scissors alone. Her first instinct was to fight, to force Marinette to stay by her side and honor the promise she made to her to support her through this. But only an idiot wouldn't be able to see how anxious Marinette was about her other friend.

If she wanted to change how people looked at she, then she had to change how she acted too. Starting with her selfishness.

“Go ahead. I’ll be fine here on my own.” Chloé said, pretending not to notice when Marinette's eyes widened in surprise. “I’ll just hunt you down and show you how amazing I look when I'm done here.” Before Chloé could say anything else to that, Marinette pounced across the room and swept Chloé into a bone crushing hug, making the heiress yelp in surprise.

“Thanks, Chloé, you’re amazing!” Marinette gushed, planting a quick kiss of gratitude on Chloé’s cheek before grabbing her purse and darting for the door. “I’ll make this up to you! I promise!”

Speechless, Chloé could only stare after the girl open mouthed and try and process what had just happened, one hand going up to lightly touch the cheek that Marinette had kissed.

If she had known that was what being nice would get you, she would have started earlier.

\---

Two hours later found Chloé walking down the sidewalk, marvelling at how much better she felt after her haircut. Not only did her head feel about ten pounds lighter, but she looked stunning, if she did say so herself. Her stylist had taken off a few inches, so her hair now ended just above her shoulders, and then teased her natural waves into Marilyn Monroe inspired curls, with her bangs swept to the side and pinned into place with a decorative barrette that sparkled as it caught the sunlight. It was a mature, feminine look that suited her and made her feel like a brand new person.

Just what Chloé wanted.

She had an extra spring in her step and a grin on her face as she made her way down the street, eager to get back to the hotel and into the white and gold dress Marinette had made for her upcoming Gala and take a few dozen selfies, only to have her plans derailed by a sudden violent explosion.

Later on, she’d be a little ashamed that her first thought was that she was going to kill the akuma if he messed up her hair. But only a little. After all, she had just spent nearly €300 on this haircut, so she felt the reaction was at least somewhat justified.

Still. Best not let anyone else know about that one.

Growling out her annoyance, Chloé shot off like a bullet to put some distance between her and Hawkmoth’s latest monster. She was pretty sure she didn’t cause this one since she’d been with Marinette of at the salon for most of the day and no one seemed all that upset with her at any point, but ‘better safe than sorry’ was always the best approach when dealing with superhuman powers that were being thrown around by brainwashed puppets who were 99% pure rage.

“AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING, BLONDIE?!”

There. That right there was exactly Chloé’s point.

She tried to pick up some speed, but that wasn’t particularly easy in heels (which she’d honestly only worn because she liked how much it irritated Marinette when she loomed over her. Couldn’t karma cut her some slack? She was TRYING here!) but unfortunately wasn’t fast enough to escape and soon found herself entangled in rope and staring at a bad Phantom of the Opera wannabe.

“Let me GO you freak!” Chloé snarled as she struggled against her bindings. Hot as it was to get saved by Ladybug, the damsel in distress bit got old pretty fast.

“Typical.” The Akuma sneered. “Girls like you think you’re too pretty for a guy like me! Well Opera Ghost won’t be stepped on any more!”

At that moment, in a fit of irony that would have made Chloé cackle under other circumstances, Ladybug proceeded to land directly on top of the Akuma, forcing him to the ground with her foot between his shoulderblades.

“Show’s over, Opera Ghost!” The heroine quipped, plucking a note out of the Akuma’s hands and tearing it to release the Akuma. “Time to de-evilize!” Chloé almost sagged in relief as Ladybug’s yoyo snapped out to catch the fleeing bug, relieved that she didn’t suffer too much indignity this time around.

“Ugh, thank God.” She muttered as a swarm of Ladybugs flew past, vanishing the ropes that bound her with the familiar warmth of Ladybug’s healing magic. She stood and dusted herself off as Ladybug helped the confused victim to his feet before completing her customary fist bump with Chat Noir. Figuring that the heroine was going to make a break for it to find somewhere safe to detransform before her magic ran out, Chloé turned and started making her way down the street to her hotel once more, only to be stopped by a voice she knew all too well.

“Are you alright Miss? The Akuma didn’t hurt you, did he?” Chloé couldn’t help but turn at being addressed by Ladybug, a little stung that the heroine didn’t recognize her.

Any offence she felt quickly evaporated though, at the look on Ladybug’s face when she realized who she was talking to.

“C-Chloé?!” The heroine sputtered, cheeks going noticeably pink under her mask.

“Hello, Ladybug.” Chloé acknowledged, trying to pretend she hadn’t just been hogtied in front of her hero. Again. Summoning up every bit of confidence she had, Chloé ran a hand through her new haircut and asked, “Like the new look?”

Ladybug turned lobster red at the question.

“Y-yeah!” She squeaked out. “I mean! It cools you! No! I mean it looks suit! I MEAN-!” Burying her face in her hands, Ladybug gave a small, but audible scream as Chloé realized, with a dazed feeling of happiness she had never experienced before, that SHE was making Ladybug trip over her words.

Damn if THAT didn’t do a girl’s ego good.

“I gotta go! Looking good!” Ladybug shrieked out before frantically zipping away on her yoyo, almost flying right into a lamppost in her haste to escape. Chloé grinned as she watched her swing away.

She really, REALLY liked this new haircut.


	7. Fear Itself

“I’m gonna kill her.”

“Marinette.” Tiki sighed from her place within Marinette's purse. “You ALWAYS say that after a fight with Chloé.”

“Well this time I mean it! She made fun of a four year old girl’s new glasses! How low can you get?!” Marinette knew full well she wasn't in the most rational state of mind right then, but she didn't particularly care. How DARE Chloé tear down a child's self confidence like that! She honestly thought she could get away with stuff like that because she was the Mayor's daughter?!

Well not if Marinette Dupain-Cheng had anything to say about it.

Marinette barely paid attention to the hotel’s doorman as she stormed past, ignoring his dismayed groan at her appearance. He had become well acquainted with the girl since she became Ladybug and started standing up to Chloé, and was even better acquainted with her tenacity and resourcefulness after she had managed to slip past him and into the hotel no less than a dozen times.

The two had something of an understanding now. He wouldn't interfere when Marinette needed to have a word or ten with one Chloé Bourgeois, and she wouldn't raise a fuss when he showed up to escort her out, or sneak back in after she was shown the door. It was an agreement that kept everyone more or less happy.

Repeatedly slabbing the elevator button that would take her up to the penthouse suite, Marinette continued to fume as she plotted out exactly what she was going to say to Chloé before dragging her to Alya's so she could apologise to the poor, heartbroken little girl who she had so cruelly mocked. The elevator opened with a cheerful 'ding!’ but before Marinette could get on, an explosion went off outside and screams began to echo through the air.

Gritting her teeth, Marinette turned on her heel and stomped over to a supply closet to transform.

Looked like killing Chloé would have to wait.

\---

Fear Eyes was turning out to be a nasty opponent, despite being only four years old. She had the ability to manifest people’s greatest fears just by looking into their eyes and then command her creations to do her bidding, which was causing quite a bit of chaos throughout the streets. Zombies, monsters and creepy crawlies of all shapes and sizes ran rampant through the streets (she had never seen so many snakes and spiders in one place before. So much Nope there.), which forced the Lucky Duo to split up to take their opponent down. Chat was in charge of clearing the area, so Fear Eyes couldn't create any more minions, while Ladybug stalked her opponent and looked for an opening to snatch her glasses to free the young victim.

Unfortunately, this was turning out to be much harder than it ought to be, since Ladybug also had to avoid getting caught by Fear Eyes gaze as well and having HER greatest fears turned against her.

Ladybug hated opponents like this, like Pixelator or Timebreaker, which often turned her into the prey rather than the predator.

“Come out, come out wherever you are~” Fear Eyes singsonged as she prowled around the hotel room the two had crashed into, looking for the superheroine. Ladybug’s eyes narrowed at the sound and she crouched down lower, listening carefully for the girl’s footfall so she knew when she'd have to move as she tried to formulate a plan to get the glasses while also keeping Fear Eyes occupied and away from any more potential victims.

And of course, that was when the door was thrown open with a thunderous CRASH.

“HELLO! How many times do I have to yell before I get some service around here?!” Chloe snarled into the room, making Ladybug freeze in horror. Oh, no...

“You!” Fear Eyes exclaimed, her tone somewhere between delighted and outraged in a way that only an akuma could pull off.

Oh, noooooo…

“Chloé! RUN!” Ladybug ordered as she jumped out of her hiding spot, hoping to distract the akuma so the blonde could escape. Unfortunately, the Akuma was more interested in revenge than obeying Hawkmoth’s orders and getting her Miraculous, and this dodged Ladybug’s yoyo and stalked out the door after the heiress, who had let out a terrified shriek and turned heel to flee when she realized that the room was occupied by an Akuma and not a member of the hotel staff as she had originally thought.

Unfortunately, she didn’t make it far.

Fear Eyes tackled Chloé, forcing her to the ground and then glaring into her eyes. Ladybug grit her teeth as a bright light flared up, her stomach dropping as Chloé’s greatest fear began to take form in front of her. When the light faded, Ladybug couldn't help, but freeze as she took in the sight before her.

Because standing over Chloé, glaring down at the stunned girl with the utmost contempt, was Chloé Bourgeois herself,

“You are so pathetic.” Fear!Chloé hissed at her dumbstruck double. “No wonder everyone hates you and even someone as good and kind as Ladybug doesn't want you anywhere near her. You're just a miserable little brat who wants everyone else to feel just as low as you.”

“That’s not…” Chloé began to protest weakly. “I’m not…!”

“You are. Nobody likes you. Adrien only puts up with you because you were the only friend he had for a long time, and that's bound to end soon now that he's going to school. Sabrina would love to have someone better to hang out with, someone who isn't always treating her like a slave. Ladybug only saves you because she has to. You don't have any real friends, and there's no one to blame for that but yourself. You're worthless, Chloé Bourgeois. Just gold-plated garbage.”

A strange feeling swelled up in Ladybug at that moment, watching the way Chloé’s eyes filled with teas at the contempt filled words being thrown at her in her own voice. The truth- or at the very least what Chloé thought was true- which she had been afraid to face for such a long, long time. It was strange, and yet felt right at the same time.

Protectiveness.

Ladybug's yoyo snapped out to wrap around Fear Eyes, yanking her off of Chloé and towards the heroine. She snagged the glasses off of the Akuma’s face as soon as she was in grabbing distance and snapped the spectacles with one hand, sending the little black butterfly flying. Releasing Fear Eyes, Ladybug brought her yoyo back around to catch the bug before it could get away, releasing the purified butterfly into the air as Fear Eyes minions dissolved into nothing as Miraculous Cure whirled all around the room.

If only the memory of what had just happened was as easy to dismiss.

“Wha…?” The confused four year old victim said, looking around herself with furrowed eyebrows before her eyes landed on the superheroine before her. She sat up straighter, eyes widening when she recognized the other girl. “Ladybug?!”

Smiling, Ladybug crouched down, slipping the repaired glasses back over her nose.

“Love the look.” She said, tweaking the four year old’s nose playfully. “Very stylish. Eyewear’s all the rage now, you know. Though I might be a little bias.” Winking, Ladybug tapped the corner of her mask, earning a joyous grin from the little girl, who reached up gingerly to touch her red frames.

“Right you are, my lady.” Chat agreed playfully from the window. “Eyewear is VERY stylish. A cool cat like me knows a thing or two about that stuff, you know.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do, Chaton.” Ladybug agreed, rolling her eyes in annoyed affection. Smiling at him, she asked. “Think you can take the victim back home for me? I need to take care of something.”

Chat raised an eyebrow under his mask, his eyes going from Ladybug, to the four year old, to Chloé, who was sitting curled in on herself nearby. Thankfully, Chat didn’t press for any answered, but instead gave a flourished bow.

“As my lady commands.” He said, gathering the child up and taking her to the stairwell. Once the pair was gone, Marinette turned her attention to Chloé, who still hadn’t moved.

Walking silently over to the girl she was so sure she hated not half an hour earlier, Ladybug fell to her knees and fathered the blonde in tight for a bone crushing hug. Chloé stiffened at the contact at first but then, slowly, she reached up to wrap her arms around Ladybug, burying her face into the superheroine’s shoulder.

Ladybug pretended not to notice when the blonde began to cry.


	8. Lady in the Streets

A lot of their former classmates were surprised when Marinette ‘pretty-in-pink’ Dupain-Cheng rolled up on her red and black BMW S1000RR motorcycle, but not Alya.

She had been there for the eight months Marinette had spent sighing longingly over the bike as she saved every penny she could to earn it and had witnessed her getting the last thousand she needed from her parents as a graduation present just yesterday. She then had to sit through hours of breathless sonnets to the motorcycle’s beauty, power and speed, which were only worth it for the way Marinette glowed as she rambled on about the machine.

Sure the bike was nice, but Marinette’s smile was by far prettier in Alya’s ever-so-humble opinion.

Still, Alya was proud of Marinette for achieving her goal and getting the bike for herself, and couldn’t help but laugh when Kim, Max and Alix had descended upon the blue-eyed girl like hungry savages to get a closer look at the bike as Adrien stared longingly from the curb with Nino’s firm grasp on the back of his shirt holding him in place (“Dude, no. If your dad even THINKS you got close to a motorcycle, he’s gonna go full on lockdown on you. We are NOT taking that chance with the trip we got planned this summer, okay?”).

After letting her classmates drool over her wheels for a while as she smugly bragged about every last feature, Marinette dug an extra helmet out of her bag and, grinning widely, tossed it to Alya, who caught it easily.

“Wanna ride?” Marinette asked coyly, blue eyes sparkling in excitement as she lovingly straddled the bike.

Like hell was Alya going to say no to THAT.

A few minutes later found the girls speeding through the streets of Paris, weaving in and out of traffic as shops and landmarks passed in blurs of colors and lights. The wind bit angrily at Alya’s skin, especially her forearms which were wrapped around Marinette’s midriff, but she could feel the warmth radiating off Marinette’s back into her chest, and smell the light, sweet aroma that was distinctly Marinette’s.

“Doing alright back there?” Marinette asked her when she slowed down to take a curve. Alya grinned at the question, propping her chin on Marinette’s shoulder and giving the exposed skin on her neck a playful kiss.

“Never better, Hon.” She responded slyly, laughing when Marinette gave a surprised squeak and the bike wobbled slightly before the smaller girl got it back under her control, elbowing Alya in retaliation for her surprise attack.

Sure Marinette could be awkward sometimes, but Alya refused to change a thing about her flakey, adorkable closet-badass girlfriend.


	9. Chapter 9

“What’s your favorite flower?”

Juleka blinked in surprise at the question, giving Rose a curious look as the blonde merely beamed down at her eagerly.

“Dunno.” She answered softly. “Never thought about it.”

“Never?” Rose asked, humming in frustration. “You have to have something you like, though! Marinette loaned me a book about the Language of Flowers, and I want to find out what everyone’s favorite flowers says about them!”

“Cool.” Juleka said, smiling at Rose’s excitement.

“I know right?! It’s soooo romantic! Like Marinette told me her favorite flower is an apple blossom, and they represent good luck, healing, and the promise of a bright future! And Alya likes sunflowers! Those represent devotion, happiness, and wisdom!”

“Awesome.” Juleka agreed.

“My favorite is the Daisy, I think. Those represent cheerfulness and trust!”

“That suits you, Rose.” Mylene laughed from the row in front of them, giving the blonde an affectionate smile.

“You think?” Rose asked with a pleased flush. “Oh, and Adrien told me he likes Bluebells! Faithfulness, gratitude, humility, kindness and luck! That suits him too, doesn’t it?”

“What about Oaks? Does the book say anything about that?” Mylene asked. Rose gave a thoughtful hum before flipping through and finding the right page.

“Here it is! Let’s see… Endurance, strength, maturity and protection!”

“Really?” Mylene gave a pleased grin before turning back around a smile on her face.

“Hmph! And you people call yourself Parisians!” Chloe scoffed in dismay. “If you’re going to go with one flower, then irises are the way to go, obviously!”

“Irises?” Rose repeated, brightening as she turned the book back several pages. “Oh, here it is! Eloquence, inspiration, hope, passion, valor, and a valued friendship!” Eyebrows furrowing, Rose looked up to give Marinette a confused look. “Why do you have that one highlighted?”

“N-no reason!” Marinette answered, her cheeks going pink. “Just. A friend told me she likes them a while back. I like to keep track of that stuff.”

“That explains why sunflowers were highlighted too.” Rose pondered.

“Awful big coincidence, though.” Alix pointed out with a shark-like grin. “Your friend and Chloe liking the same flower.” A laugh rang out in the room as the duo in question sputtered indignantly and began to loudly protest what Alix was trying to imply. Everyone knew that the pair got along better than they wanted to admit, but the two girls were still too stubborn to admit that they saw the other as anything but a mortal enemy.

Honestly, Juleka was starting to suspect they were trying to fool themselves more than anybody else.

Before she could ponder this any further, an alarm blared over the speakers making the students jump. Thankfully, everyone was used to the sudden, random attacks on the city in the years since Ladybug and Chat started protecting them, so it didn’t take long for everyone to start grabbing their necessities as Marinette practically teleported to the door.

“Alright everyone! Line up single file!” She ordered, as was typical of her duties as the class representative. Catching the eyes of the other Miraculous holders, the blue-eyed girl waited until each had given a nod to confirm they could fight before laying out her battle plan. “Nino, Juleka! You two take the lead and get everyone to the gymnasium safely! Alya, you and Chloe do a sweep of the girls’ room to make sure they’re clear! Adrien, you check the boys!”

 _Guess that means me and Talon Bleu are on back up today._ Juleka mused as she quickly made her way to the front of the class, smiling back when Nino offered her an encouraging grin. It wasn’t a surprise, really. Of the Miraculous holders who went to their school, she and Nino were the least experienced, and the least suited for head-to-head confrontations. Sure, Nino could fight well enough and she could hold her own in a pinch, but that wasn’t what their powers were really meant for. Their abilities were more for support than confronting villains on their own, so they only joined the fight if it seemed like the others were at risk of being overwhelmed.

“Alright Dudes! You know the drill! Everyone to the boiler room, and take only what you need! Come on people, let’s move it!” Nino shouted out, waving their classmates out the door as Alya, Chloe and Adrien snuck out to the bathrooms to transform.

“Good luck.” Juleka offered softly to Marinette, as she always did when she had to sit out a fight. It felt silly at first, to wish luck to Ladybug of all people, but Marinette always seemed grateful for the sentiment nonetheless.

“Thanks. We’ll be in touch if necessary.” Marinette reminded her before making her way to the back of the room with the illusion of checking to make sure everyone was out. Taking their cue, Nino and Juleka started to lead their classmates out to the boiler room, clearing the Lab so that Marinette could transform unseen.

Maybe it made Juleka a bad hero, but she honestly hoped that Titania wouldn’t be needed in this fight.

—

Unfortunately, that ended up not being the case.

Rena Rouge and Queen Bee had ended up arguing about something during the fight, distracting them from what was going on around them. The enemy tried to take advantage of their bickering to take out Rena, but the fox was pushed to safety by Ladybug, who was captured in her stead. Which would have been bad enough on its own, but was made worse when Chat got captured trying to free her.

“So basically, you guys screwed the pooch.” Nino clarified flatly when a sheepish Rena had called him up to fill him in on what happened.

“It would have been fine if someone didn’t almost shove me off a roof when I was getting ready to attack the leader!” Queen Bee growled in the background.

“Oh would you buzz off already?!” Rena snapped back before sighing. “Yeah. They got LB and CN in some kinda cocoon, and they’re preparing to drain their essence to feed their leader. I don’t know what that means, but I really doubt it’ll be good for Ladybug or Chat.”

“Which means we need to rescue them fast.” Queen Bee said, looking anxious. She was the defacto leader if anything happened to Ladybug or Chat Noir, but they all knew she wasn’t entirely comfortable with that role, especially when she had to lead a rescue to save their actual leaders. She did her best to hide it, but Juleka could almost see the anxiety and trepidation coming off her in waves. “We need Talon and Titania suited up and on the way like, ten minutes ago. And make sure you bring a big gun, Fairy, because we need all the fire power we can get.”

“Roger. We’re on our way.” Nino confirmed, turning off his phone and pocketing it with a sigh.

“You’d think they’d be more mature after all these years of fighting together.” Duusu hummed in disapproval, visibly annoyed that they would be forced to come in and clean up after such a simple mistake.

“They’re young. And fighting is how they get along. If they argue with one another, then they are less nervous about facing their enemies.” Nooroo told her wisely.

“Less nervous AND less focused.” Duusu huffed back.

“Well let’s whip them into shape then, shall we?” Nino asked with a grin. Juleka gave a nod and the two crept away through the boiler room’s door and into a nearby room to transform.

“Ready, Nooroo?” Juleka asked. It wasn’t necessary, technically, but Juleka still felt it was important that Nooroo confirm that he wanted to transform her after he spent so long suffering at the hands of Hawkmoth. She wanted him to know that he always had the right to tell her no. That she’d never abuse his magic the way the villain had.

“Of course, Miss Juleka!” The butterfly said warmly, as always. He smiled with pure affection at the dark haired teen, earning a grin in return.

“Nooroo! Wings Emerge!” she recited, closing her eyes as the warm, empowering magic of the Miraculous washed over her and transformed her into her alterego.

“All set then?” Talon Bleu asked her once he finished transforming as well, summoning his wings and pulling out his fan to hold at ready.

“Almost.” Titania replied, bringing her cane up and holding one hand palm up as a glowing white butterfly fluttered out from the weapon and landed on her index finger. “Go ahead without me. I have to get my gun.”

“We’ll meet on the Arc de Triomphe. Be quick, okay? We don’t know how much time we got.”

“Right.” Titania nodded, giving a guilty wince. She knew how anxious it made her teammates that it usually took her quite some time to find someone willing to become her Champion, as the scars Hawkmoth had left on Paris had yet to fully heal, but Titania refused to coerce anyone into taking her butterflies the way the former villain had.

Thankfully, she had at least one person who never needed convincing to help.

Letting her butterfly go, Titania closed her eyes and watched as the insect navigated the halls and entered the boiler room, gently touching down on the shoulder of a familiar blonde.

<Hello again, Rose> Titania sent through the butterfly, smiling at the delighted gasp she got from the tiny girl.

“Titania!” She said in a delighted whisper.

<I’m sorry to contact you so abruptly, but I need help.> Titania told her. <Ladybug and Chat Noir are in trouble. We need Briar Rose to save them.>

“Oh, no!” Rose said, gasping in dismay. “Of course I’ll help! Only…”

<Is something wrong?> Titania asked her anxiously, stomach knotting at the chance that Rose might reject her.

“No, not really, but before I agree… Titania, what’s your favorite flower?” Rose asked breathlessly. Titania blinked a little caught off-guard by the question. “Sorry, it’s probably not the best time to be asking silly questions like that, is it? I-!”

<Rose.>

“Y-yes, Titania?” Rose asked meekly. Through their link, Titania could sense the girl’s anxiety, her fear that she had messed up and upset the heroine. Smiling, Titania opened a path so the other girl could sense her feeling in return, and feel the affection and admiration that she had for her.

<My favorite flower.> Titania clarified as the blonde gasped at the insight into Titania’s heart. <It’s a rose.>

The sheer joy that Rose felt at that answer was well worth the seconds she lost to meet up with the others.

“I accept, Titania.” Rose agreed warmly, making sure that the heroine felt the affection and gratitude she felt towards her before she transformed.

 _This,_ Titania thought, _is why she’s my favorite Champion._


End file.
